As someone who absolutely loves classic Hollywood, I really wanted to read this book. I will say that I own thousands of classic films, and I hate the films made today. Back then, there were no blue screens, everything done was true. I also own hundreds of biographies of actors, directors, studios, etc. So at least you know that I know where I speak.

Saying that, I own every one of Cesar Romero's films. As is my wont, when I read the biography of an actor (or other), I watch several of their films to help me see them in their performances -- I watch their movements, their eyes, etc. Seeing Cesar on screen has always been a pleasure of mine, and seeing his films again has not lessened it.

Therefore, I was hoping that this book would give me something I didn't know, or something else about Cesar that would appeal. What I learned is that the author is quite taken by the fact that Cesar was gay. It is mentioned on almost every. single. page. If Mr. Romero kept it in his private life; there was a reason. I don't think he would be happy with this biography. It's not that I didn't know he was gay; it didn't matter, as it doesn't matter now. It's difficult to explain, but I would have liked to have had more insight as to how he felt about his costars, each movie, what he enjoyed when not working. Being gay is fine with me; there have always been actors who are gay, and there probably always will be. It doesn't take away from the fact that they are very good actors. (FYI, I am not homophobic; I just like good biographies).

Instead, I got page upon page of his role on the television show Falcon Crest (who cares?) and a few anecdotes thrown in once in a while about what people felt about him. I happened to know that he was lifelong friends with Joan Crawford, and they spent quite a bit of time together, but there was barely a mention of this. Why?

Oh, this book could have been so good. But instead, we got the chronology of his films and the plot lines of nearly all of them. While he had a small role in The Thin Man, he got to show his acting chops, and I love it each time I view it. He also had a very good role in Charlie Chan at Treasure Island. But ah, well. Watch them if you get the chance.

What else can I say? I didn't learn a lot about Mr. Romero from reading this book, but the pictures were nice.

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher but this in no way influenced my review.

I'm very excited that there's a book about Cesar Romero, highlighting his accomplishments and kind, respectful personality. The writing is clear and well-structured.
However, I felt that there was too much given away about the plots of the shows and movies he was in, especially the pages summarizing episodes of Falcon Crest. I understand it's a long show that's not as popular anymore (and doesn't require a spoiler alert after being released in the 80s), but I thought it didn't add to Cesar's life story. It was nice to have insight into his relationships with other Hollywood stars, but between the plot summaries and long list of names, I think it lost focus. The Chronology section at the end was great, comprehensive, and, in my opinion, a better spot for explaining the details of the drama series.
While I love that the author wants to share Romero's truth in ways that the actor couldn't during his lifetime, I worried that the speculation of his sexuality and affair with Tyrone Power being circled back to throughout the book overshadowed the things that Cesar would have wrote in his autobiography, had he gotten the deal he wanted to write it. The author's tone doesn't feel offensive or overbearing at all–it was just mentioned more than I expected and cited a couple of gossipy sources.

Thank you, NetGalley and University Press of Kentucky, for the ARC!

I thoroughly enjoyed Cesar Romero: The Joker Is Wild by Samuel Garza Bernstein. As someone who grew up watching Romero's iconic portrayal of the Joker on the 1960s Batman TV series, I've always admired him, but I knew surprisingly little about his life until this biography. It's hard to believe this is the first full biography of such a legendary figure.

Bernstein does a fantastic job bringing Romero's story to life, with extensive research and thoughtful interviews that add depth and personal insight. I was especially moved by how much Romero did to support his family throughout his career, an aspect of his life that was both inspiring and heartfelt.

While I understand the significance of Romero's role on Falcon Crest, the chapter covering it felt a bit too long compared to the pacing of the rest of the book. That said, the biography as a whole is well-crafted and informative. It is a fitting tribute to a talented, often underappreciated actor whose legacy still shines.

Thank you to NetGalley, Samuel Garza Bernstein, and University Press of Kentucky for the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Samuel Garza Bernstein’s Cesar Romero is a detailed biography chronicling the life and career of the actor, best known for his role as the Joker in the 1960s Batman series and his later work on Falcon Crest.

The book explores Romero’s journey from his early days in theater to his extensive filmography, covering his roles in classic Hollywood films, Broadway productions, and television. It also delves into his personal life, relationships, and status as a cultural icon.

I enjoyed the chapters highlighting Romero’s Joker and his Falcon Crest tenure. However, the book often felt tedious, packed with minutiae about obscure films, theatrical works, Hollywood names, and dates that were irrelevant to me. While the comprehensive chronology section will excite dedicated fans or researchers, it made the read a bit heavy and boring at times. Some readers will enjoy all the details, but for me, it was a mixed experience. Three stars.

I received a DRC from University Press of Kentucky through NetGalley. This review is my own and reflects my thoughts and opinions.

I have always had a love for Cesar Romero so it was amazing to get to read a well put together biography for him. His works were always impressive and how he mastered acting in such a way that he could be a hearthrob while also being able to hold such a serious and versatile filmography. And getting to read about his time as the most fun joker was a delight!

There is so much information on Cesar Romero that being able to juggle so many sources and quotes without just dumping them all on the reader to untangle is an impressive feat; especially while making it accessible and easy to read instead of some dense like biographies turn out. Also getting the anecdotes on other Hollywood stars was interesting as well, since Cesar had so much influence on the people around him. I'm a Joan Crawford fan so it was a delight to read about their friendship. There's not too much information overload and the use of sources is excellent, scattered through the writing so fluidly that it's easy to follow and feels natural as I am reading.

It also comes through so clearly how much an influence Ceser had on the author by how thoroughly researched and how much care was put into writing his life story. It's not hard to say that Cesar was well loved and regarded after reading, even just in the introduction I immediately connected to him. So it was great to read a biography that was handled so well by someone who loved his life.

This was an interesting read and and the author did a fantastic job making a biography so fun to read. And it must have been so much work to gather so much information and try to find the more unknown aspects of Cesar's life, considering how private he was about his relationships it seems like all that could be found just came down to implications and rumors. Bit it was still such a compelling read and I feel that is how Cesar would have preferred it anyway.

I had fun with this one so thank you NetGalley and University Press of Kentucky for lending me this ARC!

This ARC was provided by NetGalley and University Press of Kentucky. Thanks!

Going into this book, my only familiarity with Cesar was his role as Joker in the 1966 Batman movie, which I adore. He was the best part of the movie, and his maniacal laugh was infectious. So when I saw this on NetGalley, I wanted to read it and learn more about the man who played the best Clown Prince of Crime.

This book is a reluctant 3.5 stars rounded to 4. I loved the writing, I loved the use of present tense when discussing Cesar throughout his life, I loved the pictures at the end [I wish there were more and that they were scattered throughout the book (they may be in the final print version)], and I liked the way the story of Cesar's life unfolded. Samuel clearly did his research for this book and admires Cesar and his work. If you like Cesar, old Hollywood, and movie history, I believe you will enjoy this book.
But sadly, there are some issues that drag the rating down for me.

How the book is structured is odd to me. Cesar's biography are the first 130 pages or so. Then there's about 120 pages of the chronology of Cesar's credits that is rather dry compared to the biography section. If we were going to get a list like this, I would've rather them all be incorporated in the biography section (much more briefly) while discussing the highlights of the year, which is what the author already did with many of the appearances listed in the chronology.
The biography section was very enjoyable to read, but at times felt rather surface level, and many times began to border more on resume territory than biography territory. Several times there was just a block of text about the co-stars alongside Cesar, which was interesting, but not why I was reading this book. The surface level aspect is not entirely Samuel's fault, as Cesar appears to have been a very private person, but that does occasionally leave one wanting more than what was already publicly available.

Then there is a 6 page description of his role on Falcon Crest. While interesting, there was no comparable description of his other roles, save for chapter 5, which is 13 pages long, about Cesar's time as the Joker.
We are told this is because his role on Falcon Crest is a huge part of his later life in order to justify the plot synopsis, but I don't believe the payoff is there. I would've liked more on how or why this role was so major for Cesar.

And lastly, the thing that drops the rating most for me, is the ending of the biography section. The second to last paragraph details his death and the last paragraph is a brief recounting of his last few months and the interviews and appearances he gives. And that's the end.
It feels very abrupt, like it's missing a recap of his legacy, his influence, why this book exists to discuss Cesar other than the author's love for him.

Overall, I enjoyed learning about Cesar, his life, and his work. He appears to have been a kind, fascinating man, beloved by all who knew him and worked with him.

The genre of biographies can be problematic for me because I often find them a little dry. I really enjoyed how the author handled telling Cesar Romero’s body of work. There were fun descriptions of almost all his movie roles and television characters. Some speculation is made about Cesar Romero’s love life but it is handled respectfully and sources are used to infer the claims. There’s some great photos from Cesar Romero’s acting career included. I received an advance copy from Netgalley in exchange for a posted review. I enjoyed my trip to Old Hollywood. I would have liked to know more about Cesar Romero’s trip with Tyrone Power because it was referenced many times but not much details were given.

This biography of Cesar Romero was quite the read. Turns out he was an interesting guy. Cesar started life rich as the son of a wealthy sugar plantation owner. However, while he was still in school, the bottom fell out of the sugar industry and they went from being well off to middle class. Caesar soon started dancing to help make money and support his family. This lead to Broadway, where he had some success. Then, he moved to Hollywood where he made a name for himself as a studio actor, sometimes supporting in big movies, sometimes starring in smaller movies. He developed friendships with many big Hollywood names, like David Niven and Tyrone Powers. But Cesar was always very private so no one knows much about these relationships and how close they were. Possibly his two most famous roles are on the 60's Batman and 80's Falcon Crest. He was always classy, smooth and charming, even if his life wasn't always smooth. A fascinating read both about an actor I enjoyed and the changes in the entertainment industry from the 30s to the 80s.

I love old hollywood lore, so I was really excited to read this. I didn't know anything about cesar romero prior to reading this novel, and I think it gave a great overview of his life and accomplishments. some of the other reviews I've seen mentioned that they wish it was written a little more objectively and that it felt a bit like reading a college essay, and I did have the same thoughts as I was reading. however, I also feel like this book was really well done for a concise biography without a lot of fluff. it's also noted within the text that cesar was a pretty private man when it came to his personal life, so I'm not sure how much further in depth it would have been possible to go without speculation. there were a lot of photographs included at the end, which I also really appreciated.

thank you, university press of kentucky & net galley, for allowing me to read an arc of cesar romero: the joker is wild by samuel garza bernstein in exchange for my honest review.

Wow this biography really informed me of things I never knew about César before. Highly recommend to anyone that was a Batmanbor Jonercfan back. The 60s or enjoys movies such as the Original Ocean’s 11, etc will definitely enjoy reading this.

I never knew what I didn’t know about my favorite Batman Villain. Cesar Romero was layered, talented and so much more than a painted face and a green wig. This is a must read!

My grandmother, born in 1909, simply ADORED Cesar Romero. Thanks to her influence, I knew that he was more than just a campy Joker and so was looking forward to learning more about what shaped the life of such a versatile and talented man. This book, while informative, lacks the storytelling charm that was the essence of Mr. Romero; it reads like a college term paper. The present tense retelling if his life story is a little strange as well. While I appreciate the effort it took to gather so many references, it feels like a pastiche or Frankenstein rather than a cohesive and compelling biography.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for this free ARC. Opinions stated here are wholly my own.

Cesar Romero by Samuel Garza Bernstein

I never used to think I was a person who liked biographies until I read the Power Broker. I got into it when listening to the Power Broker podcast on 99% Invisible with Elliot Kalan and once I started it I couldn’t stop. After finishing that I read all of Robert Caro’s LBJ books and I realized I did like biographies after all. So I was curious when I saw a Cesar Romero biography on NetGalley. I of course loved the ‘66 Batman series, but otherwise I didn’t know much about Mr. Romero. This book was enjoyable and well written, but it felt a bit thin. I know not everyone is Robert Caro, but I was hoping for a little more depth here. This book sometimes fell into plot synopses of Cesar Romero’s work without delving very deeply into his inner life. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it and am glad I read it.

"Dynamic and debonair, Cesar Romero was best known for creating the role of the Joker in the 1960s Batman television series. As the first actor to play Batman and Robin's villainous nemesis, Romero established the character's giddy, manic tone and the distinctive laugh that subsequent actors like Jack Nicholson, Heath Ledger, and Joaquin Phoenix would use as the starting points in their own Oscar-nominated (Nicholson) and Oscar-winning (Ledger and Phoenix) performances. As a closeted gay man of Latin American descent, Romero gracefully faced many personal challenges while maintaining his suave public image and starring opposite legends ranging from Shirley Temple to Marlene Dietrich, Carmen Miranda to Frank Sinatra, and Kurt Russell to Jane Wyman.

The first biography of the consummate entertainer, Cesar Romero: The Joker Is Wild, captures the critical moments of Romero's childhood, adolescence, and accomplishments in Hollywood. Author Samuel Garza Bernstein shares anecdotes regarding Romero's public and personal life, as well as Romero's private disdain for his reputation as the "Latin lover," a discriminatory stereotype he found constrictive both in terms of his range as an actor and as a man who kept his sexuality private.

Cesar Romero is an in-depth study of a significant Hollywood star and his impact on the entertainment industry. Batman made him immortal, but with more than four hundred film and television credits, his six-decade career as an actor, dancer, and singer made him a true Hollywood icon."

I love the story that he wouldn't shave his mustache to play the Joker because it would rule him out for the "Latin lover" roles. Something this cover catches perfectly.

Romero was a remarkable man who went through a lot in his childhood, teen years and adulthood.
I enjoyed reading about all of his film roles besides Joker, which is legendary.

I wish the personal opinions were less.

NetGalley/ University Press of Kentucky August 26,2025

I have watched the 1960s Batman TV show and found it very entertaining. I wanted to read this biography of the actor Cesar Romero who played the Joker on the show but it turns out the book is not available to read on the NetGalley reader. Since the NetGalley shelf does not work for me (except for ALCs) and I cannot download ARCs on the Adilko app anymore, sadly I won't be able to read and review the book. I will just leave a rating based on how other have rated it.

I remember watching the Batman show as a kid with my dad but after reading this it makes me want to re-watch it with a fresh prospective.

I don't read many biographies because I feel like a lot of times authors can project their own personal thoughts on what happened into it too much, but this one seemed to be the bare facts without too much speculating. This made for more to the point and concise read which I very much appreciated.

Chris Begley was relating a story about Michael Keaton on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, “Colbert started to transition the interview to Spider-Man by saying ‘You’ve been Batman, Birdman…’ but before he could finish, Keaton corrected him. ‘Yes, I *am* Batman’. No past tense there!” (Keaton supposedly ad libbed that in the movie.) I could see Cesar Romero saying “I *am* the Joker” in interviews, and for me, he will always be *The* Joker. My adult sons will disagree with my ranking (and they’d be wrong!). And he’ll always be his alter ego, A. J. Arno. NetGalley offered an advance read and I liked this a lot.

Fascinating man. I don’t recall reading other biographies written in present tense, so that was new to me. The author says in his Afterword, “I certainly respected Cesar Romero before starting this project. But I have come to love him-for everything he was and for everything he never had the chance to be, at least not publicly.”

This biography is comprehensive. At times effusive. At times candid. The author speculates but doesn’t presume, and treats Mr. Romero with great respect. And even summarizes every film and television appearance of Romero (in chrono order.) Impressive. I never watched Falcon Crest, so the six pages of plot summaries (at the end of the book and before the chronology) of that were lost on me, though not, I expect, on fans.

[on Romero’s more than 500 credits] “That body of work speaks for itself, but I hope the exploration of that work in this book encourages people to seek out his per-formances. The Joker is iconic. Peter Stavros is melodramatic perfection.
But his many, many other characters deserve to live on as well.”

Indeed they do. Recommended for fans of Romero, fans of the Joker, fans of the era.


[on Batman]”This is a show where a man in a mask and bat ears, wearing a cape and skintight underpants over his tights, can walk into a nightclub, ask for a booth near the wall, and add, completely deadpan, in a lower voice, ‘I shouldn't wish to attract attention.’”

[also on Batman] “A vision of what the show might look like starts coming into his [exec producer William Dozier’s] head-something he refers to as the ‘pop art technique of the exaggerated cliché.’"

I like that. Saving it.

[interesting to me] “Some authors writing about GLBTQIA+ history in Hollywood believe that studio concerns over Romero's sexuality and the character's evolution into something of a fop are part of the reason. for pulling the plug [on Romero as Cisco the Kid],…”

I don’t often see the G and L swapped (the author uses the initialization in the “usual” order later.)

[On John Ford] “Another director, working faster and staying on schedule, might have done it more efficiently, certainly without the close-ups. Romero's is so beautifully lit, with his cheekbones so perfectly shadowed, he might as well be Marlene Dietrich but with human feeling.”

Love that… “but with human feeling.”

I'm a Cesar Romero fan and was hoping for a little more depth and insight about his life. This biography did not deliver. It was a very surface level description of Romero's life that often felt more like a resumé than a biography. Often there were large sections that were clearly padding, such as several paragraphs about the plot of "Falcon Crest."

Disclaimer: I was provided with a free copy of the book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

A fascinating biography of Cesar Romero. I’ll admit that beyond his appearances as the Joker in Batman ‘66, I wasn’t very familiar with his work, but I will certainly take a deeper look into some of his filmography in the future.

Thanks to University Press of Kentucky and Netgalley for the digital ARC. This was given to me for an honest review.